


Three Wishes

by Lunarium



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Birthday, Family, Fantasy Fulfillment, Fluff, Friendship, Kissing, M/M, Romance, Wishes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-03
Updated: 2019-03-03
Packaged: 2019-11-08 12:10:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17981072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunarium/pseuds/Lunarium
Summary: Keith gives Shiro a stone that will grant him three wishes: relive fond memories, reconstruct the past with new friends, or create his own worlds.





	Three Wishes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [midnightflame](https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnightflame/gifts).



> Many thanks to Brii for looking this over! <3

The double doors slid open and Shiro rushed out to Keith’s side. 

“Keith! You wanted to see me?” 

Keith smiled. “Glad you could make it, Shiro.” 

Confused, Shiro glanced about himself. They stood in a dim, wide hanger with no mech nor fighter in sight. Shiro had landed his own private fighter in another hanger of the Blade headquarters; he had been promptly told where Keith was and rushed to his side, eager to see him. Keith hadn’t been there to meet Shiro when he had landed, and now, quite oddly, they were in a wide, empty hanger with no one else around. 

The only object around them was a tall metallic archway, but Shiro could barely make it out in the darkness. Finally, he turned back to Keith, who was studying the item and then to Shiro without much remorse at having called him away from the Atlas. 

“You…seemed a lot more distressed during the call.” Not that it mattered. Shiro would have done everything to see Keith, of course. It was just that the situation was strange. Keith had seemed so urgent during the call. 

Keith chuckled and turned towards him. “Sorry, but I had to pry you out of your office. Veronica said you’ve been cooped in there for days just poring through paperwork. She didn’t think you showed up at meals, and a couple times she popped her head inside just to see how you were doing.” 

“Funny, I don’t remember her doing that.” 

“Because you fell asleep. Over your desk. She had to drape you with anything warm she could find.” 

“So that’s who it was…”

“Shiro…” Keith’s eyebrows knitted in worry. He studied Shiro’s face, paying special attention to the dark circles under his bloodshot eyes. “You’re working yourself to death.” 

“Yeah, well—no!…just had a lot of work to catch up on,” Shiro laughed sheepishly. “Admiral duties go beyond commanding everyone at the bridge and giving pep talks. It’s—” a mighty yawn escaped him “—sorry!—It can take a lot out of you. I’m afraid I’m not as good on the administrative side of affairs.” 

Keith broke into a small smile and shook his head. “I know you can do it. Nothing is below the greatest paladin to pilot the Black Lion. But Shiro, do you know what day it is?” 

“Saturday?” he tried. 

Keith gave a snort. “You’re hopeless.” 

He pulled Shiro’s hand up and placed something round and heavy in his hand. Shiro studied the stone disc, marveling at the shiny, opaline surface. Keith’s fingers brushed under his jaw as he gave him a soft peck. 

_Ah._ He began to understand. Not too long ago they had wished one another a happy Valentine’s Day. They didn’t often give one another gifts for Valentine’s, as every moment together was a gift of its own, but it had been nice to get to talk to him in between a busy schedule. 

“It’s beautiful,” he said, studying his birthday gift. “Thank you.” 

“It’ll grant you three wishes,” Keith said, “but they have to be of a specific kind of wish.” 

He motioned towards the archway, then swiped his hand over the disc; a portal opened up. 

“Pidge and Hunk have been developing a mechanism that’ll allow us to travel through any reality, or our own past, in any point in time. You can also create your own reality with a wish. Return to a fond past, relive it, or...reconstruct it as you wish.” 

“Is this to help Honerva?” Shiro asked, thinking of the woman they had been trying to heal back on the Atlas. 

Keith nodded. “We got the idea while we roamed through her mind. It’s strange, isn’t it? Our own minds can be full of universes.” 

“I…that’s almost terrifying,” Shiro said. “Was Allura okay with this?” 

“Yes,” Keith said. “After interrogations, we’ve agreed it’s the only way we can give Honerva happiness. We tried it out already for little things. I was cleared on sharing this with you…if you’d like, of course.” 

Shiro studied the device in his hand. “No chance of getting trapped?” 

Keith shook his head. “Just make a wish and step into the portal. Any world you’d like to celebrate your birthday.” 

“Well…I wouldn’t want to celebrate it without you, nor without my closest friends, nor without…” Shiro gripped the stone. 

“Take it to your lips and whisper your wish,” Keith instructed. Shiro did as so, feeling the stone vibrate in his hand. Keith took his hand just as the portal glowed like a vibrant white wormhole. 

Keith smiled encouragingly and together they stepped through the archway.

*

The moment they stepped out, Shiro’s vision was suddenly obscured by two yellow ribbons and a high-pitched squeal as bony arms wrapped around his neck.

“Birthday boy is here!” Romelle announced and jumped back, freeing him from her grip; her long pigtails bounced about behind her. He gaped at her. The Romelle who hugged him couldn’t have been older than the human equivalent of five. 

“Shiro! Happy Birthday!” came a series of cheers as a bunch of other kids clamored towards him. He was hugged by so many children he barely had time to recognize them all. Suddenly he was picked off his feet and embraced warmly, kisses planted all over his face, and he squeezed his eyes as corners of his eyes burst into beads of happy tears. 

“Happy Birthday, little bun!” Takara cooed after she set her son back down. He gripped around her leg in response, too overjoyed to say anything. 

After they scattered about he could identify them: Matt and Lance went back to putting the last of the streamers. His mother had long discarded her Garrison coat, walking about in a simple blouse and long skirt. She set plates on the table while a slightly younger-looking Coran chatted away excitedly, plastic forks and spoons in hands. There were a few more familiar faces as well: a teenage Veronica, and an adult Kolivan, Krolia, Iverson…Shiro searched for one person in particular, but, whimpering, he tried not to get his hopes up too high. 

“Do you like the cake I baked you?” Allura asked excitedly, showing off her masterpiece. “Hunk helped me!” 

“We’re supposed to make a moon birthday cake!” Hunk whined. “But—”

“What do you mean ‘supposed to’?” Allura said. 

“Moons aren’t pink! And not sparkly!” He waved a hand over the lines of glitter that made up the rivers on Allura’s moon. 

“But I like sparkly!” 

“I love the cake!” Shiro announced and blanched at how squeaky his voice was. 

“Who’s that?” Pidge asked, pointing at the boy next to him. 

Shiro turned to Keith, who had been standing politely next to him the whole time. His beam turned into a blush. Introducing Keith as his husband was probably odd in this dream-reality, even if everyone here was family (both blood and found.) 

“This is Keith,” Shiro said, “and he’s my _bestest_ friend in the whole wide world!” 

Everyone’s eyes widened with wonder—Lance’s with an almost-envy—as they all studied the new kid in their midst. 

Shiro got to enjoy cake as the group passed around his presents. Hunk, Pidge, and Romelle performed a little song and skit for him from one of their Monsters and Mana campaigns. Lance had gotten him the newest Pokémon game along with a plush of his favorite Pokémon, and Allura gave him a vial of pure light which was said to guide him through any darkness. 

“Just like the Phial of Galadriel in Lord of the Rings!” Hunk and Pidge exclaimed excitedly. 

Allura sighed. 

Keith had painted a picture for Shiro. While everyone ogled at the canvas of stars and space, beautifully detailed for one so young, a tall shadow fell over Shiro.

“Takashi.” 

Shiro flinched and he looked up at his father. General Shirogane regarded him plainly, still in his uniform, but he wasn’t wearing the usual grim look Shiro had come to expect. “I’m sorry I missed most of your birthday party. I was at an important meeting. But, I got you a present!” 

He placed a plate with a lid over it in front of Shiro. Shiro glanced at Keith, excited but nervous. Keith nodded encouragingly, and Shiro lifted the lid. For a moment, he thought his father had gotten him a large snowball, except it was furry…and then it pulsed. Long loopy ears popped, a a bushy tail appeared as the animal shifted, the head turned, and soon the bunny-rabbit’s beady eyes regarded Shiro. 

Gasping with delight, Shiro collected the rabbit into his arms, practically crying in front of everyone, overjoyed. The other kids scrambled for a look, forming a wall between them and the adults. “Snowball! Thank you, Dad!” 

“I had a rabbit just like Snowball when I was younger,” Shiro told Keith later as the two climbed up the steps to Shiro’s bedroom. He laughed at the sight of his old room and watched for Keith’s reaction, his eyes going wide with wonder. Toys of space shuttles, planetary charts, glow-in-the-dark planets and stars and moons glued to the ceiling. He had always been a little space-mad. He set Snowball on the dresser and turned to Keith. 

“This isn’t going to last.” 

“Afraid not,” Keith said just as the archway appeared as a hand-drawn shape against the wall— _Mom’s gonna kill me_ , Shiro thought amusedly. 

He produced the stone disc from his pocket, and repeated the step from before. Keith took his hand just as the portal opened up. 

“Goodbye, Snowball,” Shiro said, smiling and waving sadly to his beloved childhood pet before he and Keith entered through the archway.

*

They stepped out to wide springy park, a warm sun basking their backs. Benches propped about and the sound of families, couples, and friends picnicking surrounded them. Shiro, still holding Keith’s hand, led him towards a tall, elderly man sitting at one of the benches. He was bent over a gameboard, mulling over a game alone and only looked up when they approached. Shiro heard a tiny gasp next to him and smiled at Keith’s reaction: save for his wrinkles, Grandpa Ryou’s resemblance to Shiro was striking.

“Shiro? Is that you?” Grandpa Ryou asked and scoffed. “I’m just being silly. My grandson is small and you’re so tall! The last time I saw Shiro, he was…it had been when he was a teen, before he left for the Garrison. Before I had...oh.”

Shiro glanced down and noticed the way his body leaned to the side; his back had a little arch. His bionic arm had been replaced at some point to a far simpler model; it was once again attached to his body. Keith touched his arm and he glanced at him, noticing the long braid—the long _grey_ braid. Keith’s other hand propped himself with a cane. Their gaze met, and Keith’s wrinkled smile sparkled in his eyes. 

“I don’t mean to sound vain, but it’s like looking at a mirror,” Ryou continued, laughing to himself. “Yet there’s something about you that reminds me so much like my little boy!”

“It’s…me, Grandpa,” Shiro said. “And this is my husband, Keith.” 

Ryou studied them both with curiosity before nodding, accepting this happy turn of events. “So it is, Shiro my boy! Would you and Keith like to join me in a game of checkers? It’s not as much fun playing alone.” 

“Are you sure?” Shiro asked as they settled before him. “That’s two against one.” 

Ryou chuckled and tapped one finger against his temple. “It’d take a whole army to beat me!” 

They played several rounds. The day carried on in tranquility, the warm spring air filled with their chatter and laughter as they engaged in friendly war on the checkerboard. 

Beside Ryou was a picnic basket, which he had explained he had packed on the off-chance of finding someone to enjoy some tea and lunch with. He poured them some tea from a thermos, gave each a small sandwich—Shiro’s childhood favorite from Ryou: a rainbow grilled cheese—and a thin slice of strawberry shortcake. 

And Ryou hadn’t been kidding; he was a menace as a checkers opponent, but both Keith and Shiro were only glad for once to be defeated by such an amicable enemy. He gushed about Shiro to Keith, filling him with stories about his grandson’s past that Keith hadn’t known yet. 

“When Shiro was just nine, he helped me in the kitchen,” Ryou said. “Not the greatest of chefs—”

“—I’ve since learned how to make the best mac and cheese,” Shiro retorted. “And steam broccoli just right.” 

“Absolutely. That convinced me to marry him,” Keith added with a teasing grin. 

Ryou gave a hearty laugh. “—a real jokester like your grandpa! Mac and cheese—and broccoli! Haven’t changed a bit! He was a disaster with the spice rack! Did you know he couldn’t pronounce star anise correctly?” 

“Couldn’t pronounce?” Keith said, and Shiro groaned, knowing exactly where Ryou was taking this. 

“Oh, yes! It went on for _years_! One time he wanted to impress a classmate and was bragging to him about the sort of fancy meals he had—imagine that poor boy’s face when Shiro said he had ‘anus’ for dinner. When was this again? High school? It sure taught you the correct way to say it!” 

Keith snorted into his tea before dissolving into fits of giggles; Shiro groaned loudly, broadening on a whine. 

“Your grandfather is such a sweet man,” Keith said later. They followed a winding path found behind some trees. “I’m glad to finally meet him. Thank you, Shiro.” 

“Glad you enjoyed that,” Shiro said, chuckling. “Even if some of the memories are ones I’d rather forget.” 

“Oh, I thought they were adorable,” Keith teased and cuddled against him. 

“Watch it,” Shiro said. “You’re sounding like an old man.” 

“We _are_ old,” Keith chuckled. “I like that. Growing old together. Glad we got to experience a bit of it with your Grandpa Ryou.” 

Shiro’s eyes softened. “Yeah. He was a great man. I’m glad you got to meet him too.” He fumbled through his pockets and pulled out the stone disc as the great archway appeared before them on the pathway, right over a gazebo. They both studied the stone. 

“One more wish left…” Keith mused. 

Shiro smiled. “I know exactly what my final wish is.” 

He repeated the step one more time, then bent down to kiss Keith, wincing a bit—his elderly body was going to have back problems. Still holding hands, he helped Keith along up the steps and into the archway.

*

Stars stretched as far as the eye could see, reflected on the surface of the shallow watery surface under their feet. Keith’s breath caught in his throat as he studied the view.

“Breathtaking,” he sighed. Back to their current ages, Shiro smiled, studying how beautiful Keith looked under the great canopy of stars. The gentlest breeze passed them, rippling through the black water. 

Keith studied himself, noted Shiro in plain silky robes similar to his own, then looked around themselves. “Where are we?” 

“My last wish,” Shiro said, “for the last reality: a realm where only we exist under the stars.” 

Keith ran his hands over his own robes and smiled. “One last bite of birthday cake?” 

Shiro chuckled. “Sorry. I should have mentioned what I was thinking, in case you weren’t—” 

The robe slipped like water, rolling past Keith’s shoulders and ivory body, and in a moment he stood before Shiro, stark nude and starlight beautiful, standing ankle-deep in a sea of cosmos. 

“I want you to take me, Shiro,” Keith said with a smile and half-lidded eyes that drew Shiro closer, enchanted. Keith settled on his back in the water, the cosmic liquid forming around him just as Shiro had wished to see him, bathed in deep space. Keith reached up, tugged, and Shiro’s robes slipped off, disappearing into the water. 

His fingers trailed up Keith’s body as he settled over him, kissing his neck up to his lips. Stars reflected in Keith’s beautiful, deep eyes. 

_My entire universe_ , Shiro thought, smiling fondly and caressing Keith’s cheek. Nothing could rival the gift of Keith’s friendship and love, he mused as he moved in for another kiss just as Keith’s arms wrapped about him and pulled him closer.

**Author's Note:**

> What would Shiro's favorite Pokémon be? :D


End file.
